Conductor suspension clamp



Nov. 19, 1929. B. A. PLIMPTON 1,736,508

CONDUCTOR SUSPENSION CLAMP Filed Feb. 25, 1927 gwuento'c a, 2 Pia m ataPatented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES,

PATENT. :FFICE BENTLEY A. rnmrron, or BALrmoaEjMARrLANn, Assrenon rLocxn INSULATOR CORPORATION, .01 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A oon'ronerronorMARYLAND ,connccron so-srnnsron C AMP This invention relates to clampingdevices used for suspending conductors from insulators.

The principal Object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide asuspension clamp which may be manufactured very simply and cheaply andyet be capable of giving as efli-' cient service as those of moreexpensive design. b

An important object of the invention is to provide a suspension clampformed in a pcculiar manner toprovide van'adequ-ate-bearing seat towhich'is clamped a conductor engaging keeper, said seat or ssaddleportion :16 being struck out from the sides of :the body portion, theentire device, aside from the keeper member, being capable of beingformed from a single pieceof sheet metal stamped or cut and'pressedtopossess the de- 2 sired configuration.

Yetvanother object of'the invention is to 1provide a suspension clampembodying a eeper' or relatively movable clam-ping element anda U-bolt,the keeper memberzha'ving portions thereon coop'erating'with the bolt toprevent longitudinal displacement, said portions being inth'e "nature oflugs straddling thesides of the bolt and" these lugs being capable ofengagement withthe side of the clamp when load'is applied whereby toincrease the slip strength of the clamp and make it possible'to employ aU-bolt-of comparatively smallisize.

, To the attainment of the :"foreg'oing an other objects and advantagesthe invention preferably consists in the detailed struc-' ture and thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully de=scribed and claimed, and illustratdin the accompanying drawing'in which:T Figure 1 is aside elevation-of a clamp constructed in accordance withthe invention, Figure'2 is a horizontal 'sectiontaken on the line 2-2'ofFigure 1,"and o i if Figure 3 is acentral vertical-cross taken on theline 33 of Figure 2. o

Referringmore particularly to the drawing,

I have shownthe clamp as comprising a 'relatively stationary member 1andvarelatively section movable member :orkeeper 2. 'Themember 1 ispreferably of curved shape throughout andis substantially U-shaped incross section in that it includes a channel-like bottom portion 3 andupstanding side portions 4 which are formed with-openings 5 for thereception o'fsuspension means such as ,a-hook or thelike located at thebottom of a string of insulators or other support. The bottom wall orportion 3 of the member 1 is not only curved transversely throughout the-major portion of its length but is also longitudinally curved toprovide flaring ends 6 which permit a certain'play in the conductor 7without it coming in contactwith the edges of the ends it being wellunderstood-that chafing or other wear at these points should be strictlyavoided as being injurious to the conductor. j

Formed at the center of the bottom portion 3 is a "base, seat or saddleportion 8 which is preferably flat and "which is defined partly by'lateral projections -9 stamped or struck outfro'm the sidesA:whe'n'the-openings 5 are formed'therein. In -the formation of this baseor saddle portion by striking out a portion of the metal left when theopenings 5 'are formed, thejmaterial of the sidesis pressed out adjacentthe openings 5 as shown at 10, the material at these points merging intothe lateralextensions 9. V V

The conductor"? of course lies upon the curved bottom portion, 3 and theflat central base or saddleportion 8 of the member l, and clamping iseffected by means of -a preferably elongate'd' relatively movablememberor keeper 11 which is preferably concavo-convex in cross section with:its concave side engaging the conductor.

In addition to the above described parts, the device includes a U-bolt12 which passes through suitable holes in the base or saddle portion 8and which has" its-arms provided with nuts 13 engaging against theunderside of the saddle portion. The U-bolt'embracingly engages andextends transversely above the keeper member 11 so as to cause it toexert'the proper clamping action upon the conductor. To preventlongitudinal displacement ofthekeeper member with respect to therelatively stationary portion ofthe clamp, the keeper is shown asprovided at opposite sides with lugs 14 notched at'15 for theaccommodation of the arms of the U-bolt.

In the actual manufacture, the device may be made from a flat blankwhich is stamped or cut to give it the proper contour and to define theopenings 5. The material at these openings 5 is not all removed assufficient is leftand pressed out to define the lateral extensions 9which form the base or saddle portion through which the U-bolt extendswhen installation is made. After theipreliminary cutting or othershaping, the blank is folded longitudinally and pressed by means ofsuitable dies to give it the longitudinal curvature and the proper shapein other respects. The bulgingof the material outwardly at the sides ofthe openings 5 to permit it to merge into the lateral extensions 9 willincrease the strength and rigidity'of the clamp.

The device is of course installed and used in the same manner as anyother clamp for the same purpose. WVhen heavy strain comes upon it it ispossible that there will be a tendency for the sides to draw toward eachother and if this should occur it is clear that they may engage againstthe opposite edges of the keeper member 11 and assist the clampingaction theerof. If a conductor of sufficiently large diameter be clampedby the device, the lugs 14 may possibly engage against the inner facesof the sides 4. It will be noted that owing to the provision of thenotched lugs at the side edges of the keeper there will be nopossibility of longitudinal displacement of the keeper with respect tothe relatively stationary portion of the device and the holding actionwill therefore at all times be assured. Inasmuch as the device is formedprincipally from a single sheet metal blank and as it may be constructedor shaped by folding or pressing it is evident that its manufacture willbe a simple and inexpensive proposition. It is really believed that theconstruction, operation and advantages will be readily apparentto'oneskilled in the art without further explanation. I

lVhile I have'shown and described the preferred embodiment oftheinvention and the detailed method steps involved in its production,it should be understood that the right is reserved to make any and allsuchchanges as will not depart from the spiritof the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the'character described, a relatively stationarymember of elongated shape substantially U-shaped in cross section andhaving a transversely and longitudinally curved bottom portion andspaced parallel upstanding side portions, said side portions beingformed with opposite openings, the central portion of the bottom beingformed with. lateral extensions at the lower ends of said openings, saidlateral extensions being formed with holes, a keeper member locatedbetween the sides and cooperating with the bottom of the relativelystationary member to constitute clamping means, and a U-bolt straddlingsaid keeper member and having its arms passing through said holes andequipped with nuts.

2. In a clamp of thecharacter described, an elongated relativelystationary member substantially U-shaped in cross section and includinga longitudinally and transversely curved bottom portion and spacedparallel sides merging thereinto, said sides being formed with openingsfor the reception of a suspension element, a portion of the materialleft in forming said openings being struck out to define lateralextensions merging into said bottom and into the sides, said lateralextensions defining a central saddle portion, said saddle portion beingformed with spaced holes, a keeper member located between said sides andformed at its opposite edges with notched lugs, and a U-bolt straddlingsaid keeper member and passing through said holes with its ends equippedwith nuts, said notches accommodating said bolt.

8. In a device of the character described, a relativelystationary'member of elongated. shape substantially U-shaped in crosssection and having a transversely and longitudinally curved bottomportion and spaced parallel upstanding side portions, said side portionsbeing formed with opposite openings, the central portion of the bottombeing formed with lateral extensions at the lower ends of said openings,said lateral extensions being formed with holes, a keeper member locatedbetween the sides and cooperating with the bottom of the relativelystationary member to constitute a clamping means, and a U- boltstraddling said keeper member and having its arms passing through saidholes and equipped with nuts, said keeper member having notched portionsat its sides accommodating'said bolt. i

4. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationarymember including a curved bottom portion and spaced sides mergingthereinto and provided centrally with elongatedopenings adapted toreceive a suspension element, said relatively stationary member beingprovided at the bottom with lateral projections formed from the materialstruck out in the formation of said openings, said lateral extensionsand the portion of the bottom therebetween constituting a central fiatsaddle portion, the material at the sides of the openings being bulgedoutwardly and .merging into said lateral extensions, a keeper membercooperating with. said bottom, and bolt means engaging the keeper memberand passing through said saddle portion for effecting a clampingrelation.

5. The method of making the relatively stationary portion of asuspension clamp, comings and embracing the keeper member and prisingcutting a blank, forming the blank connected with the bottom portion ofthe at opposite sides of its center with elongated body.

openings, folding the blank longitudinally to define spaced parallelside portions connected by a curved bight portion, and striking out aportion of the materials at the adjacent ends of said openings to defineextensions projecting laterally beyond said sides to form a centralrelatively flat saddle portion.

6. In a conductor suspension clamp, a body substantially U-shaped invertical cross section having its bottom adapted to support a conductorand having sides formed with openings, the body having lateralextensions at said openings, a keeper member located between the sidesand cooperating with said bottom to constitute clamping means, and abolt embracing the keeper member and said extensions.

7. In a suspension clamp, an elongated body substantially U-shaped invertical cross section and including a bottom portion adapted to supporta conductor and further including spaced sides having openings, alateral extension on the body opposite the opening in the side thereof,a keeper member located within the body and cooperating with the bottomthereof to constitute clamping means, and a bolt engaging the keepermember and passing through said extension.

8. In a device of the character described, an elongated body including abottom portion and spaced sides having openings therein and formed withlateral extensions at the openings, a keeper member located between thesides and having laterally extending portions located within theopenings, and bolt means embracing the keeper member and passing throughsaid first named lateral extensions.

9. In a device of the character described, an elongated body including abottom portion and spaced sides having openings therein and formed withlateral extensions at the openings, a keeper member located between thesides and having laterally extending portions located within theopenings, and bolt means embracing the keeper member and passing throughsaid first named lateral extensions, said last named lateral extensionsbeing notched to accommodate the bolt.

10. In a suspension clamp, an elongated body including a bottom portionand spaced sides formed with opposite openings, a keeper member enclosedwithin the body, and bolt means within the openings. embracing thekeeper member and passing through the bottom portion of the body.

11. In a device of the character described, a body including a bottomportion and spaced upstanding sides having openings therein, a keepermember enclosed within the body and having projections received withinthe openings, and bolt means located within the open- In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature.

BENTLEY A. PLIMPTON.

